ESPN draft analysts are thinking cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round, and more specifically, a corner out of the University of Florida.
Todd McShay has the Eagles selecting Gators standout Teez Tabor. Mel Kiper Jr. released his first mock draft of the season Thursday, and projects fellow Gators defensive back Quincy Wilson to the Eagles at No. 14.
Wilson (6-foot-1, 213 pounds) played in 37 games at Florida and finished with six interceptions and 14 passes defensed. Tabor (6-foot, 201 pounds) played in the same number of games and posted eight interceptions -- returning three for touchdowns -- and 28 passes defensed. They were part of a Florida defense that held opposing quarterbacks to a 45 percent completion rate and ranked sixth in opponent points per game (16.8) this past season.
"I think Wilson may be a little bit more well-rounded. Tabor is a big-play guy, kind of like Marcus Peters, that type of player: tremendous ball skills, a nose for the ball, opportunistic. Wilson may be a little bit more complete," Kiper said during a conference call, adding that Wilson is a solid tackler.
The Eagles could be looking to upgrade both starting corner spots, as Leodis McKelvin and Nolan Carroll failed to produce at a high enough level consistently in 2016. Carroll is a free agent.
The Eagles have not invested a first-round pick in the cornerback position since selecting Lito Sheppard out of (you guessed it) Florida with the 26th overall pick in 2002. They have leaned largely on free agents to fill the corner spots of late, and the results have been less than desirable. Executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman spoke of the need to get away from the "Band-Aid" approach when it comes to building this team, and referenced the corner position in particular.
This is considered a quality cornerback class, so it looks to be a good year to be searching for long-term answers. Kiper has six cornerbacks going in the first round, including Ohio State's Marshon Lattimore (sixth overall), Tabor (13th), Wilson (14th), Marlon Humphrey of Alabama (18th), Clemson's Cordrea Tankersley (26th) and Sidney Jones of Washington (28th).